URMSON BACK RACING CYCLES AFTER ACCIDENT

Paul Urmson is well acquainted with the dangers of riding a motorcycle at night.

Six years ago, he was involved in a nighttime accident that resulted in the loss of one of his legs from just above the knee.

The accident wasn't his fault but he paid dearly.

However, Urmson, who now uses an artificial limb, hasn't let the accident sour him on the thrill of riding, and more appropriately competing, on a motorcycle.

Urmson, who spent a lot of time racing during the 1970s, was back working in a motorcycle shop two months after the accident. He had bought a new bike and was racing within seven months.

But the cost of racing soon put a stop to his hobby.

Now Urmson, 30, is eager to begin racing again. He has the money and the desire. On July 3 in Daytona Beach, he and his brother, Jim, will be competing in the Paul Revere 250 motorcycle race. The race will be a nighttime event, beginning at 10. It is expected to conclude at about 1 a.m. on July 4.

He and his brother will alternate riding the bike for about an hour at a time during the endurance race.

"This will be the first time that they have ever run motorcycles at night," Urmson said. "It will be physically more comfortable than racing during the heat of the day but at night, there just isn't enough light to light up the track.

"Nobody knows how amateur racers will react to the course."

Urmson said he doesn't have any concerns about his safety in the race and that it is just coincidental that his comeback is in a night race. It is the only night race scheduled during the American Motorcycle Association Championship Cup series for endurance races.

Although they have past racing experience, the Urmson brothers are registered as novices for the Daytona race and they will remain that way for the remainder of the season, which ends in November. Urmson said he hopes to earn enough points to race as an expert next year.

Expert racers are eligible to compete for prize money.

"Money has always been a problem for me," Urmson said. "That's why I've been going in and out of road racing because it costs too much. But now with them offering money, that will help pay for some of my expenses.

"But I'm still, really doing it just for the fun."

Fun for Urmson translates to riding a Kawasaki 600 Ninja bike that can reach speeds of just under 140 miles per hour on the straightaways.

The bike also has a few alterations to allow him to ride. The gear shifter has been moved from the left to the right side.

Urmson said that he and his brother have always been drawn together by racing. In the early 1970s, they were the only motorcycle racing enthusiasts around.

"We sort of keep each other into it," Urmson said. "We have always been pretty much a team."

Urmson said he never intended to stop racing for ever.

"I never really said that I dropped out. I just put my leathers on the shelf until I had the money to get back into racing again. Everything has just come together at the right time."